Bicycle.



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nrENr BICYCLE.

u SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,980, dated August 20, 1901..

Application tiled December 1,6, 1896. Serial No. 615,891. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANS VGr. JOHNSON, a resident of Waukon, in the county of Allamakee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in f bicycles, the object of the invention being to provide a simple and eflicient driving mechanism by means of which great speed of the machine can bemattained with a minimum amount of frictional resistance, the construction also being such as to avoid dead-centers.

A further object is to construct a bicycle 4in such manner that it shall be simple and whichwshall be effectual in all respects in the performance of its functions.

With these objects in View the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of l a sleeve 2, and the latter is mounted on a revoluble shaft or axle 3. A- hollow crank-arm or casing 4 is secured to one end of the shaft or axle 3, and within said hollow crank-arm creasing a pinion 5 is disposed and secured to the sleeve 2 or to the hub of the rear wheel, so as to rotate the latter.

Pedal-cranks 7 8 are revolubly connected to the crank-hanger 6 and provided at their free ends with pedals 9. Each pedal-crank comprises two arms 10 11, disposed at an angle to each other, whereby to obviate the possibility of dead-centers. The two arms of each pedal-crank are connected together by a short section 12, which constitutes a wristpin for the attachment of pitmen. The pedalcrank 7 has connected thereto a pitman 13, the other end of which is attached to a crankarm 14, secured to one end of the shaft or axle 3 of the rear wheel. A pitman 15 is connected with the pedal-crank 8 and comprises two sections 16 17. The section 16, which is connected to the pedal-crank, is made in the form of a rod, having a screw-threaded por tion 1S to enter a threaded hole in the smaller end of the tapering section 17 of the pitman 15, accidental displacement of the two sections being prevented by means of a nut 19. The larger end of section 17 of pitman 15 is made in the form of a disk 2O,` which is provided centrally with a hub 20a, through which a pin 21, secured to the hollow crank-arm or casing 4, loosely passes, the free end of said pin being provided with a nut 22. Another disk 23 is secu red to the hub 20, and between said disks an annular series of steel pins 24 are secured, the pins passing through perforations in both disks. A construction similar to a lantern-wheel is thus formed and is made to meshwith the pinion 5 on the sleeve 2.

It will be seen that the connections between the pitman 15 and the rear wheel will be protected from dirt by the hollow crank-arm or casing 4. Should any dust nd its way into the hollow aXle,it will escape between the pins of the lanternwheel,and thus clogging, which would result by the use of a pinion instead of the lantern-wheel, will be obviated.. `Another great advantage in the construction of the connection between the pitman 15 and pinion 5 arises from the ability to repair the same should one of the pins 24 become broken, injured, or lost.

It is apparent that should the lantern-wheel become disabled a broken lor bent pin could be readily replaced by a new one, whereas if a pinion were used an entirely new pinion and pitman would be necessary in case of ac cident to the pinion in use.

From this construction and arrangement of parts it will be seen that when the pedalcranks are rotated by the rider accelerated motion will be imparted to the sleeve 2 alternately and strain will be equally divided on both sides of the machine. It is apparent that by means of my improved gearing the speed of the machine can be greatly increased and the amount of speed desired can be regulated by the sizes of the pinion and lanternn wheel relatively to each other.

My improvements are very'simple in construction, result in the acceleration of the speed of the machine without unduly increas- IOC ing frictional resistance, and are effectual in all respects in the performance of their functions.

S1ight changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention Without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its4 scope, and hence I do not Wish to limit myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A riding-Wheel comprising a driving-shaf t having cranks, a driven shaft having a crank, a pitman connecting a crank of the driving-shaft with the crank on thedriven shaft, a casing mounted eccentricaiiy on the driven shaft, a hub mounted loosely on the driven shaft, a pinion secured to the hub Within the casing, a lantern-frame journaled ing Witnesses.

HANS G. JOHNSON.

Vitnesses: I

GEO. P. LUFELDT, E. M. HANCOCK. 

